[kstjst]

My LCS irritates me, but I keep going. The owner looks up the hot products and jacks up the price depending on the current market rate...justifies it as "it's the price to replace," but in reality, it's gouging because they already paid for the product and they're most likely NOT going to bring it in again unless it's HOT. On the flip side, if a product is slow or dead, they will discount it, BUT, it's never to lose money.

The reason why I keep going back...and this is key...is that if a case hit or box hit(s) have already come out, the owner will open another box or case to mix in. So you always have a shot at this particular LCS. I have been to places where they rape and pillage a box or case, and they know it, but still lie straight to your face that they didn't see anything come out.

So, I go where my odds are the best. In the end, however, it's a slow summer and I really have to stop busting because sales on the net are pretty much dead. The only player selling right now is Puig.

[swirly1007]

I was just in my LCS today I was wondering the same thing. I asked the dealer and he said that his customers pay more to get a guaranteed non searched box. She is been in business for over 20 years and I trust him but it still sounds a little shady to me. It didn't stop me from picking up a box of 2013 USA but i bought it for the special Panini Father's Day deal pack and bonus Archive and Topps packs he gave me.

[rjcj2017]

My LCS irritates me, but I keep going. The owner looks up the hot products and jacks up the price depending on the current market rate...justifies it as "it's the price to replace," but in reality, it's gouging because they already paid for the product and they're most likely NOT going to bring it in again unless it's HOT. On the flip side, if a product is slow or dead, they will discount it, BUT, it's never to lose money.

The reason why I keep going back...and this is key...is that if a case hit or box hit(s) have already come out, the owner will open another box or case to mix in. So you always have a shot at this particular LCS. I have been to places where they rape and pillage a box or case, and they know it, but still lie straight to your face that they didn't see anything come out.

So, I go where my odds are the best. In the end, however, it's a slow summer and I really have to stop busting because sales on the net are pretty much dead. The only player selling right now is Puig.

Yeah, but what you said about them replacing packs in different boxes can be seen two ways ... if they're on the up-and-up about letting customers know when hits have been pulled, that's cool, but there's nothing to stop them from lying about it, either ...

What I mean is, say there's a 24-pack box of whatever ... let's say you buy 12 pack and don't pull anything big, and then you leave.

There's nothing to stop them from busting some of the rest of the packs, finding the jersey/auto in the third or fourth pack and then taking the rest of the eight or nine duds and mixing them into another box.

Most boxes these days come with usually 3 or 4 hits, so chances are you'd still get something out of the leftovers ... but I'm just saying if they do the reshuffling thing one way, they've probably done it several different ways.

I.e., adding fresh packs in is cool, but at the same time they could have a box filled with duds from two or three different boxes, too.

I try to stay away from open boxes unless I saw it opened and saw all the contents that came out of it first, that's basically what I'm saying, LOL

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My LCS is a little higher than online, but they also trade. Here's kind of a breakdown of what they offer/do:

They charged $120 for a 2013 Topps Series I box (not jumbo, but regular) and charged $150 for a 2013 Gypsy Queen box. They also have past boxes (like 2006-2010) and discount those 10%. So they do give a break a bit.

They also trade and offer 25% of high BV on a trade. So, say I got a $100 auto, they give me $25 in trade value for anything in the store.

As for prices, they have singles at $3 for commons (any year, any brand), $4 for base Rangers and Cowboys, $8 for vintage commons and high BV for everything else, whether Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning or Mickey Mantle. They don't charge tax if you pay cash, which is good and helps a little.

As for supplies, they charge $1.50 for a 100 pack of penny sleeves, $3.50 for regular top loaders, $4 for rookie top loaders, $$6 for thicker top loaders, $7 for a 5,000 count box, $3 for magnetic holders and $12 for 1/2 inch screwdowns. They charge $25 for a box of pages and $15 for notebooks.

Overall, the prices aren't that bad compared to some others. I don't typically buy boxes there. Will buy a few packs every once in a while, but mainly buy supplies (it's all that I can afford from there) to try and help them out a little.

Most of those price seem pretty high, actually ... $3 for magnet holders? The supplies should be about 2/3 of what they're charging.

[kstjst]

my LCS owner is on the up and up. Doesn't bust packs and doesn't allow people to even touch a pack if you can totally tell where or how to search.

i never said they "replaced" packs in different boxes. yes, if someone busts packs from a product that has 24 packs and is supposed to have 3 hits, and that person gets 3 hits out of 12 packs, another box will be opened and mixed in. that's so that the next person that wants to bust packs (and not buy a box) will have a chance at the 3 hits. it may now be 3 hits in 36 packs, but it's not like the LCS is leaving 12 packs of nothing out there alone, with NO chance of pulling a hit. you can't expect your lcs to throw out the remaining 12 packs, it gets mixed in with the new box.

but i do try to stay away from open boxes...although i've heard of amazing things in leftover packs that have been sitting for a long time (there's been more than once a Jordan auto has come out of packs just left for a year or two).

Yeah, but what you said about them replacing packs in different boxes can be seen two ways ... if they're on the up-and-up about letting customers know when hits have been pulled, that's cool, but there's nothing to stop them from lying about it, either ...

What I mean is, say there's a 24-pack box of whatever ... let's say you buy 12 pack and don't pull anything big, and then you leave.

There's nothing to stop them from busting some of the rest of the packs, finding the jersey/auto in the third or fourth pack and then taking the rest of the eight or nine duds and mixing them into another box.

Most boxes these days come with usually 3 or 4 hits, so chances are you'd still get something out of the leftovers ... but I'm just saying if they do the reshuffling thing one way, they've probably done it several different ways.

I.e., adding fresh packs in is cool, but at the same time they could have a box filled with duds from two or three different boxes, too.

I try to stay away from open boxes unless I saw it opened and saw all the contents that came out of it first, that's basically what I'm saying, LOL

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Most of those price seem pretty high, actually ... $3 for magnet holders? The supplies should be about 2/3 of what they're charging.

[uvaspina]

I would only buy boxes from either one of the big online retailers (DA Cardworld etc.) or my LCS. Don't bother buying hobby boxes off ebay. -There's a great chance you're getting what's leftover after the seller pulled the case hit. SAVE YOUR MONEY!

To answer the OP's question, my LCS charges probably 15-25% more than what the big online retailers sell for. I don't mind doing it once in a while because I know the guy is honest, has overhead to pay, and it's nice to have my cards without the 2-5 day wait. My guy has even offered to drop of my boxes to my house if I can't make it in before the store closes. Another advantage (in my perception, at least) is that the boxes I buy local tend to have more Tigers in them. I think it's a regional distribution thing. The boxes I've bought online tend to have more Angels/Rangers/dodgers (west coast) or Red Sox/Orioles/Yankees (east coast).

[stadium sports cards]

Sorry but have to chime in here. I know that there are some dirt bag shops out there but those ones will at some point die a quick death.

Any good business person is going to want as many customers as possible to get good hits because that keeps people coming back into the shop.

The box cost x. Mark up is y. Add in the taxes and you have z. The best advertisement is a happy customer. The shop's reputation is everything.

[aktlingit]

I have 2 LCS nearby and their prices are decent. Some stuff is cheaper at one place, other things will be cheaper at the other. I try to support local businesses so I will buy local and I enjoy talking with the owners and patrons. They take care of me as well with things like a few packs of free top loaders every now and then or discounts if I buy several boxes, etc.

I'd say on average they are anywhere from $10-15 above online costs, but it does fluctuate based on when product is released, demand, etc.

Both of the shops have a good reputation of good hits coming out, I've not really heard of anyone complaining of favortism or searching going on. I picked up the last 12 packs of 2012 Archives in a box a couple months ago and ended up getting both of the guaranteed autos. That's just a recent example but in general I don't fear packs being searched there even though I primarily buy sealed boxes.

I order online as well, mostly from Dave & Adams.

[petillo64]

The 2 LCS's I go to differ greatly.

One of them is very competitive with online prices and is constantly looking online to stay competitive. The downside is that this shop sells out quickly so you are better of pre-ordering, or else you better be there within 3 days of them getting their delivery. They keep a very low inventory and typically only have 2-3 current baseball products available for packs (typically lower end topps/basic bowman etc...) This is more of a Bodega type of card shop. The singles in display cases are penny sleeve only, decent selection and will barter on prices, though high BV is typically marked. They very rarely have supplies in stock, even as basic as a pack of penny sleeves. Haven't tried to trade with them.


The other LCS is part a "chain" if you will. They own 3 stores in the bay area, CA. I'd say the 20% mark up others are talking about is pretty accurate, although once they know your face they'll be willing to knock $10 off the average box. The pack prices are horrible, and they won't budge. It is a very trustworthy place and I am 99.9999% confident that they don't pack search. They also watch people closely to make sure that people aren't doing any funny business when buying packs. The downfall to this place is that they have a great selection of older boxes, but they price them as if they were still a new release. Even after you negotiate $10 off, it is still WAY above internet for the older boxes. They will trade with you and give you good value, but they are very selective in what they are looking for. Prices for singles are High BV (some room for negotiation), except for vintage which they adjust based on condition.

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The 2 LCS's I go to differ greatly.

One of them is very competitive with online prices and is constantly looking online to stay competitive. The downside is that this shop sells out quickly so you are better of pre-ordering, or else you better be there within 3 days of them getting their delivery. They keep a very low inventory and typically only have 2-3 current baseball products available for packs (typically lower end topps/basic bowman etc...) This is more of a Bodega type of card shop. The singles in display cases are penny sleeve only, decent selection and will barter on prices, though high BV is typically marked. They very rarely have supplies in stock, even as basic as a pack of penny sleeves. Haven't tried to trade with them.


The other LCS is part a "chain" if you will. They own 3 stores in the bay area, CA. I'd say the 20% mark up others are talking about is pretty accurate, although once they know your face they'll be willing to knock $10 off the average box. The pack prices are horrible, and they won't budge. It is a very trustworthy place and I am 99.9999% confident that they don't pack search. They also watch people closely to make sure that people aren't doing any funny business when buying packs. The downfall to this place is that they have a great selection of older boxes, but they price them as if they were still a new release. Even after you negotiate $10 off, it is still WAY above internet for the older boxes. They will trade with you and give you good value, but they are very selective in what they are looking for. Prices for singles are High BV (some room for negotiation), except for vintage which they adjust based on condition.

Oh... and with the second shop, something cool that I saw...

There was a freshly opened box of Bowman for packs. A guy was buying pack-by-pack until he hit the auto. I think it took him 10 packs or so until he hit it. The guy working there was visibly irritated. After he saw the guy hit the auto, he cracked a new box of Bowman and mixed in 10 random packs with the other box and asked the guy if he wanted to try and find another. I thought it was a cool way to keep the packs honest. They guy said that he will try to do that frequently to prevent the "buy packs until you hit" people. So at any time there could one, two or no auto's in a bowman box, but that the odds on a pack-per-pack basis are as honest as possible.